Reviews current Asian educational systems, pointing out that comparison with the United States system is not possible. The educational systems reflect the societies' needs, which differ from culture to culture. (MD)

The Japanese education system provides a model for American school reform that effectively links school with entry into the workforce. Japanese schools maintain close relationships with businesses that expect teachers to nominate high-achieving students for jobs after graduation. (FMW)

This paper discusses how to motivate unsuccessful English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) learners in Japanese high schools. The first section examines the current status of teaching ESL to Japanese high school students. The second section focuses on how to motivate unsuccessful ESL learners (employing motivational strategies, creating a comfortable…

Class activities and games designed to stimulate student interest and provide feedback in English-as-a-Second-Language (ESOL) pronunciation and phonetics are described. They are intended to address specific challenges of a typical Japanese, ESOL classroom--low student motivation and inadequate feedback--and to supplement conventional language…

Contends that students traditionally have characterized social studies as difficult, uninteresting, and largely irrelevant to their present and future lives. Describes the development and use of social studies learning activity packets. Illustrates how the activity packets are consistent with current trends. (CFR)

This study investigated learning styles and learning strategies among Japanese university students whose majors are directly related to English. Data were gathered in a survey of 365 students in English literature, language, or linguistics courses at two universities. The survey included questions about study outside class time, study using…

Organized by the International Commission on Physics Education (ICPE) and the Physics Education Society of Japan, the conference reported here, the first of its kind held in Asia, was designed to inform teachers of results of prior ICPE conferences as well as to explore desirable directions for physics education, and was attended by nearly 450…

A delegation of 22 mathematics educators sponsored by the Illinois Council of Teachers of Mathematics visited Japan September 23-October 11, 1988. The group included teachers from elementary through university levels. The group visited 16 schools, 2 teacher training colleges, a scientific university, and 2 juku schools in the four major population…

Motivation towards English learning in Japanese schools today is analyzed according to John Condry and James Chambers' process-of-learning paradigm. The four stages of learning (initial engagement, process, disengagement, and re-engagement) are shown to emit different processes of learning in students based on whether learning is intrinsically or…

Problems in teaching English pronunciation to large groups of university students in Japan are discussed, and some solutions are offered. Pronunciation instruction requires close individual interaction between teacher and student, difficult if not impossible to achieve in a typical Japanese university classroom. However, it is possible to get…

Defines self-regulated learning as a problem-solving or goal-directed process orchestrated by the student but influenced by others in the student's environment. Discovers that self-regulating programs in Japan and the United States are remarkably similar with some differences. Praises Japanese instructors' emphasis on effort over ability. (MJP)

Describes a middle school program that integrates history/social studies, language, and visual arts. Describes how the program links two different middle schools through electronic mail in their study of world cultures. Includes examples of student writing and descriptions of classroom activities. (CFR)